‘Breaking Bad’: The Meaning of the Finale’s Last Song

Breaking Bad has ended — but not before giving fans one final song to rock out to.

As we saw Walter White (Bryan Cranston) – bleeding and near death – back in a lab one last time, he had just the song to send him off. “Baby Blue,” from ‘British rock band Badfinger, played over Walt’s last minutes. The song is from the band’s album Straight Up and was a Billboard top 20 hit in 1972. The song was reportedly written about Dixie Armstrong, a woman lead singer Pete Ham had dated while on tour in the U.S.

Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” follows a string of memorable blue-themed musical numbers for Bad, including “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” by Tommy James and the Shondells, which was used in last year’s mid-season finale.

“Baby Blue’s” lyrics are appropriate for the end of Walt’s journey, with lines such as “I guess I got what I deserved” and “I would show the special love I have for you, my baby blue.” On The Talking Bad, show creator Vince Gilligan said the scene in which the song is used illustrated Walt’s love for his blue product.

“I think in that last scene, he was with his Precious,” Gilligan said, referencing The Lord of the Rings.

The band, which played together from 1968-1983, found worldwide fame in the early 1970s with a string of hits, including “Baby Blue.” Other signature songs included the Paul McCartney-penned “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” and “Day After Day.”